This Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato is the perfect hearty comfort food that comes together with just 15 minutes of prep. A savory ground beef filling is topped with fluffy mashed sweet potatoes for a cozy dinner that also doubles as meal prep.
Jump to:
Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Shepherd's Pie is a classic comfort food dish that brings savory meat, hearty vegetables, and creamy potatoes together in one dish. My version swaps traditional mashed potatoes for a sweet potato topping, adding a pop of color and the perfect amount of sweetness to the dish.
If you love sweet potatoes, you'll also enjoy my Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup or these Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes for another easy side or weeknight dinner idea.
Key Ingredients
- Mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery). This is the base for th epie. Frozen or pre-chopped mirepoix are convenient and save you time. I'll often buy pre-chopped from the produce section.
- Tomato paste. Adds a rich depth of flavor. You can use ketchup if you don't have tomato paste.
- Worcestershire sauce. Adds the key umami flavor to the dish. I highly recommend not skipping this ingredient but if you need gluten-fee using coconut aminos or tamari.
- Sweet potatoes. Use 1 ½-2 pounds (about 2-4 medium potatoes). They add natural sweetness and a beautiful color, but you can swap in regular potatoes if preferred.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Add extra vegetables like peas, corn, mushrooms, bell peppers and/or green beans.
- Use ground lamb or lean ground turkey instead of ground beef.
- Purple sweet potatoes will add a beautiful and unique color to this dish.
Instructions
Step 1: Make the sweet potato topping. Boil the potatoes until they are tender. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes with butter and beef broth. Set aside.
Step 2: Next, add the diced onion, carrot and celery to a large skillet with oil. Season with salt and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 3: Add the ground beef and cook over medium heat until browned.
Step 4: Season the vegetables and beef and mix everything to combine
Step 5: Add in the flour and simmer for a few minutes until gravy-like.
Step 6: Add the pie filling to a casserole dish and top it with the mashed potatoes. Bake and serve.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! It can be made a day or two in advance. Just store in the fridge and heat in the oven before serving.
I recommend a 12-inch round casserole dish or a 9x12-inch rectangular baking dish. I prefer ceramic but a glass pan will also work.
For this Shepherd's pie with sweet potato mash, you need 1 ½-2 pounds of sweet potatoes. The number of potatoes depends on their size but you will probably need anywhere from 2-4 sweet potatoes to make this recipe.
Sarah's Top Tips
- Cut sweet potatoes into equal-sized pieces to ensure they cook evenly.
- Short on time? Pierce each potato 3-4 times with a fork. Place them on a microwave-safe plate and cook for 5 minutes, turning halfway through. Continue microwaving in 30-second increments until fork-tender.
- Use a cast-iron skillet or another oven-safe pan instead of a casserole dish so you have fewer dishes to wash.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is great on its own, but you may want to serve it with extra veggies, including Roasted Broccoli, Arugula Pear Salad and frozen Brussels sprouts in the air fryer.
Storage and Reheating
Fridge: Store leftovers in the fridge for a few days covered or in an airtight container to have as leftovers.
Freezer: Freeze baked shepherd's pie in portions for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave for about 2 minutes or in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
For another deeply savory dish packed with rich flavors, try my French Onion Soup Pasta next.
More Beef Recipes You'll Love
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato
Save this Recipe!
Get the recipe link sent to your inbox!
See the full post for extra tips and photos
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 1 ½-2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons butter, optional to make the potatoes creamy
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ⅓ cup beef broth
Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, see notes for dried herb quantity
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, see notes for dried herb quantity
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon flour, cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Instructions
Sweet Potatoes
- Add sweet potatoes to a large pot with water, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-high, remove the lid and cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender enough for a fork to easily slide in and out.1 ½-2 pounds sweet potatoes
- Drain the water and mash the sweet potatoes with salt, black pepper, paprika and broth. Set aside.2 tablespoons butter, ⅓ cup beef broth, salt and black pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika
Filling
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add diced onion, carrot and celery. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 yellow onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stick, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add ground beef, black pepper, another ½ teaspoon salt, garlic cloves, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and mix, breaking up the ground beef.1 pound ground beef, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Add in the thyme, rosemary, nutmeg and beef broth. Stir and cook the beef mixture for 6-8 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of flour, cornstarch or arrowroot powder to thicken, cook for 2 more minutes.1 sprig fresh rosemary, 1 sprig fresh thyme, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 cup beef broth, 1 tablespoon flour
- Turn off the heat and add the mixture to a baking dish. I used a round dish but a 9x13 inch baking dish will work.
- Spoon mashed sweet potatoes over the beef in a baking dish, careful not to mix the two. It helps if the filling is slightly cooled for this step. Using a fork make a zig-zag design. Top with a sprinkle of paprika.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Broil for a few minutes on high if desired.
Sarah's Tips
-
- If using dried herbs, use ½ teaspoon as dried herbs are much more potent than fresh herbs.
- Save time with the topping. Microwave sweet potatoes until tender, then mash with butter or broth for a shortcut.
- Bake in one pan. Use a cast iron skillet to cook the filling and bake the pie - fewer dishes to wash.
- Make ahead & freeze. Assemble up to 2 days in advance or freeze baked portions for up to 3 months.
Grey Eyes Reviews says
I just had oral surgery a week ago and I've been getting tired of regular mashed potatoes. I have to say that this recipe REALLY hit the spot. This was so incredibly flavorful! Thank you for sharing!
Sarah Holt says
Hi, I'm so happy you enjoyed it!! I love the addition of the sweet potatoes here🙂
Nina says
Omg! So amazing with sweet potatoes! We decided that we like this version better than the original shepherds pie. Thank you so much!!
Sarah Holt says
Hi Nina, so happy you enjoyed it! I love the combo of the beef and the sweet potato so much!!
Ashley stuart says
Made this tonight and it’s amazing! Easy to make, healthy, and delicious!
Sarah Holt says
One of my favorites, happy you loved it!
Joanna says
This looks delicious. I've never thought about topping my shepherd's pie with sweet potatoes - what a great idea!
Sarah Holt says
I love it with sweet potatoes, adds great flavor! Thanks so much
Midge @ Peachicks' Bakery says
What a great family recipe for warming up on a cold autumn day! Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare 🙂
Sarah Holt says
Thanks Midge, one of my favorite fall recipes!